CLOSED ♔ every minute shared is never mine

[everyredcent]

WHO || Christos, Amy, Sebastian, The Doctor [Closed]
WHAT || The Knights assist the FBI in investigating some mysterious creatures
WHERE ||Tennessee
WHEN || April 2nd [back dated]
HOW || Actionspam. Single thread, don't worry about maintaining tagging order.

While scams about genetically modified corn wouldn't normally fall under the purview of the Knights, the US Federal Bureau of Investigation has called in assistance from Wynn because of reports of the two agents investigating the matter running into some sort of Shadowkind that attacked them at the silos containing the corn in question.

The Knights fly out to Tennessee to check out the situation, and Christos drives them directly towards the silos in question, which are three lonely, old looking structures set in the middle of a field far away from any other civilization.

Comments

[agentspooky]

Yeah, well, you might not sound so excited once I tell you why.

Agent Fowley and I were attacked again. This time in our own hotel room.

[keptbiting]

[ um, amy is a trashcan, of course she's excited. sorry, mulder. she's concerned, but still... (unsure) she covers the speaker to look over her shoulder at sebastian and the doctor and tell them: ] It's Mulder, they were attacked again. Oi! It's the Feds! [ that last bit is hollered for chistos' benefit.

uncovering the speaker, she actually just puts the phone on speaker so they can hear the rest. ]

So what happened?

[agentspooky]

[ christos grumpily opens his door and leans on the door frame, folding his arms to listen to her half of the conversation. ]

Something was waiting in the room. We're still not certain how it got in there. I went downstairs for some ice while Agent Fowley took a shower. She was still in there when I came back and saw the thing - had to be over seven feet tall, on his hind legs like a man but sporting a head like a hyena, with reddish brown fur.

I trust you're familiar with the Shadow race called gnolls? He was clawing at Diana's door, trying to get in there, and as soon as I walked in, he turned and tried to jump me. I pulled my weapon, discharged a shot right into his chest and then--

I know how this is gonna sound. But he vanished.

[keptbiting]

[ she... may be familiar with gnolls??? (knowledge arcana: 13) probably enough to have heard the name before. she is not a smart hero, okay. shut ur whore mouths. ]

Yeah, it sounds... [ like he's batshit and hallucinating, tbh. some 1960's english schoolgirl mass hysteria type of cray. but she also doesn't sound like she disbelieves him, just that it sounds absolutely mad. ] Are you alright?

[bowtimeandspace]

Oh right yes, because 'shoot things' is the answer to everything, isn't it? You probably scared it! Is it really any wonder these things are terrified of humans?

[ Huff, basically. Huff. ]

[agentspooky]

Other than a few scratches, I'm fine. The thing is we've turned this room over and can't find so much as an incriminating hair to indicate he was here. Just a set of deep grooves in the bathroom door, and the beginnings of these nice scabs of mine.

Agent Fowley wanted to know if your Institute has heard of anything like this before. Personally, I have a few working theories, but they might require a bit of an ... open mind, so to speak.

[keptbiting]

[ that's so strange, that they leave scratches behind, but no other traces. hmm. ]

An alien crashed into my back garden when I was seven and said he'd take me to see the stars in his time machine and I followed him. Twice. No one's got more of an open mind than I do.

[ except when it come to doppelgängers, but she doesn't know that yet. ]

[wantstobelieve]

[ lmao his abyssal sense motives again wtf mulder this is your wheelhouse. his words have all the quality of an extended sigh, a sort of bitter humor that speaks of being accustomed to being the butt of the joke. ] Look, uh, Amy: I know I've got a bit of a reputation around the Bureau. And apparently in some other circles as well.

But maybe we could leave the jokes behind for the course of this investigation.

[keptbiting]

[ she tsks, lips pursing. she's not incredibly surprised; four psychiatrists, after all, have told her that she's mad and the doctor is only an imaginary friend. ] One day you'll believe me and I'll take that apology in writing.

[ most of the flirtation drains out of her voice as she continues. ] Now are you going to tell me your working theories or not?

[wantstobelieve]

I don't suppose you're familiar with the 1956 sci fi cult classic Forbidden Planet, by any chance? It's your usual fifties camp mostly, but it does posit an interesting psychic phenomena that some people, myself included, don't believe belongs solely in the realm of science fiction.

In Forbidden Planet, they referred to this phenomena as "monsters of the id", projections of a subconscious mind given enough form to be able to attack, even kill, those that the mind considers threats. There's been evidence to suggest that powerful psionics with untapped talent have occasionally created such beings, part illusion, part ectoplasmic manifestation, and that these creatures have acted out the dangerous, sometimes even murderous, fantasies of their otherwise mild-mannered originators.

[keptbiting]

Science fiction leads to science fact. [ that's the only agreement he'll get from her because now she's grumpy with him. but she still questions him because she wants to have the moral high ground. she can work with him even if he doesn't believe her life. ] Run into any powerful psionics you might've pissed off some time recently?

[wantstobelieve]

Not that have identified themselves as such, but one has to posit that if the attacks have been targeted at Agent Fowley and myself to stop us in the course of our investigation, that whoever was behind the attacks would do whatever they could to conceal the breadth of their abilities. An easy task, in the case of someone whose powers lie solely in the mind.

We've been working with a man named Robert Quail, a manager at the Processing Plant we've been looking into. Our examination at the silo was meant to prove that the corn there was being falsely labeled to allow his boss, Steve Western, to profit off a price fixing scam. It's possible that they got to Quail, that he's afraid to admit as much, but that he tipped them off to where we would be, and that we're looking into the matter. It wouldn't be difficult for a man with some connections to discover where we were staying, either.

[keptbiting]

Town like this? Wouldn't be difficult at all, could just call every hotel asking whether or not the Feds were in town. Not like you guys are really under the radar.

[ still missing those cool jackets though. rubbish. ] Oi, Doctor, have you got a pen?

[ she wants to write these names down. ]

[agentspooky]

I don't suppose I could ask you all to try to get a read on Quail. We can send you his home address.

[opprobrium]

[ Listening to Amy's side. Sebby, may not be the doctor but he had a pen behind his ear from making notes on touristy places, he tosses it and the Ruby Falls guide to her to write on.]

[bowtimeandspace]

[ Luckily the Doctor has a pen. A pen and a notepad. A pen and a notepad and a yoyo. Well, he might need the yoyo later. He's already taking notes. If taking notes is drawing little pictures of mice. Because that's what he's doing. Mice wearing fezzes.

Obviously.

He looks at Amy, and smiles at her, oddly proud of how she's taking the lead here. Not that he's surprised how wonderful she is, he's always known that. ]

Ah yes, because Forbidden Planet is just the bastion of alien knowledge isn't it. You know I should probably be offended that he keeps thinking you're winding him up, given I'm the alien that did the crashlanding and all.

Right. So. Psions. Bobby Quail. Shall we pop and see him? Fancy a trip?

[keptbiting]

Robert, you can't just call strange blokes Bobby. [ in a stage whisper: ] We're in America, you might get shot!

[ but right, she goes back to the task at hand, which is mulder on the phone, and scribbles down "robert quail" and "steven western" with the pen sebastian gave her, poised to write down the rest. ]

Alright, address, go for it.

[agentspooky]

[ mulder rattles it off. ] You'll probably want to wait until he's home from work tomorrow. Agent Fowley and I will see what else we can find on his boss, send in the evidence we found at the silos in the meantime. You'll let us know if you get anything out of Quail?

[keptbiting]

Yeah, we're on the job. The game is afoot.

[agentspooky]

Thanks. Looking forward to hearing what you got. [ *click* ]

[keptbiting]

[ she pockets her phone before peering at her scribbled notes. after a second she looks up. ]

Right, so. Address. He says we should wait 'til tomorrow to ask this Quail man about his boss. [ she looks over at christos like ur creepy and looming, what do you think we should do? should we stay or should we go now? ]

[bowtimeandspace]

Oi, if I can't call him Bobby then you can't call him 'the Quail man' as though he sells really small eggs or is a really niche superhero.

[ beat ]

But that would be cool, wouldn't it? Do you think he'd have a cape?

[everyredcent]

[ christos mostly looks annoyed that a further lead has turned up. he's not enjoying this mission group of his, surprise.

or... most mission groups lbr. ] We'll wait until morning then. We'll need to decide what our story is before approaching the man. Claiming that we're connected in any way to the FBI isn't likely to engender him to incriminate himself if he's hiding information from them already.

[keptbiting]

Is there an FBI rivalry acronym?

[everyredcent]

[ he ignores that entirely, sorry amy. ] Perhaps agents of the IRS will suit our purposes.